


The Boy Who Finally Had A Choice

by dangerouspheels



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Could Be Canon, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-10
Updated: 2016-07-22
Packaged: 2018-07-22 18:03:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7448986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dangerouspheels/pseuds/dangerouspheels
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry meets a grey-eyed boy, but soon he finds out that being friends, or more, won’t be that easy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Madam Malkin

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic and I’m not a native english speaker, so please let me know what you think (even if it’s bad)!  
> I’m trying to stick to the real story as much as possible, but I will need to change things because Drarry obviously isn’t canon in the real story. I have the dutch books and I’m translating the dialogue into english myself so it won’t always be the same as in the english books (please forgive me).  
> That’s it for now, I will list the warnings before every chapter and I will try to update every Sunday. Enjoy!

Harry still had no clue what was going on. He was a wizard? And his parents had been wizards?  
The worst part was that the Dursleys had known all those years, and they had never told him anything. He knew that they were awful people, but he never expected them to lie to him about his whole existence. They had taught him that he was just Harry, the useless and stupid orphan whose parents had died in a carcrash because they were useless and stupid too. But on his eleventh birthday Hagrid had told him that he was a famous wizard whose name was known all over the world, and that his parents sacrificed their life for Harry because they were the bravest people he’d ever known. Harry had no idea who he was anymore.  
So when Hagrid left him alone on Diagon Ally to go to Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occassions while Hagrid went to The Leaky Cauldron, Harry’s heart beated twice as fast as it should and he started sweating. The boy whose size was currently being taken was not helping Harry to stay calm. His blonde hair was obviously well-cared for and his pale skin was smooth as silk. But Harry didn’t linger on his hair or his skin for long, because a pair of beautiful grey eyes were staring right into his green ones.  
Wait, what was Harry doing? Why was he staring at this boy? He didn’t even know him!  
Harry quickly averted his eyes. It must be the nerves, that’s why he couldn’t think clearly.  
Madam Malkin started taking Harry’s size and for a moment, Harry calmed down.  
But then the blonde-haired boy started talking to him.  
“Hello,” he said, “are you going to Hogwarts too?”  
“Yes,” Harry answered.  
“My father is buying books next door and my mother is looking for a good wand down the street,” the boy said. He talked drawling and posh. “Afterwards I’m dragging them along to check out a few racing brooms. I don’t get why first-years can’t have their own broom. I think I’m going to complain to my father until he buys me one anyway. I’m sure I can smuggle it into Hogwarts.”  
The boy reminded Harry of Dudley. A less ugly version of Dudley.  
“Do you have your own broom?” the boy continued.  
“No,” Harry said.  
“Are you good at quidditch?”  
“No,” Harry said again en he wondered what quidditch was.  
“I am – my father said it would be a disgrace if I didn’t make the house team en I agree with him. Do you know in which house you’re going to be?”  
“No,” Harry said and he started to feel more stupid by the minute.  
“Well, of course you don’t find out until you’re at school, but I already know that I’m going to be in Slytherin – my whole family has been in Slytherin. Imagine if you were in Hufflepuf! I would rather leave school immediately, wouldn’t you?”  
“Hmmm,” Harry nodded. He wanted to think of a more interesting answer, but his brain seemed to have shut down.  
“Look at that guy!” the boy suddenly said and he nodded at the window. Hagrid was standing in front of it. He grinned at Harry and pointed at two ice creams to explain that he couldn’t come inside.  
“That’s Hagrid,” Harry said, happy that he finally knew something that the blonde-haired boy didn’t. “He works at Hogwarts.”  
“Oh yes,” the boy said, “I’ve heard of him. He’s part of the staff, isn’t he?”  
“He’s the groundkeeper,” Harry explained. He started to dislike the boy more and more.  
“Yes that’s what I mean. I’ve heard he’s some kind of brute – he lives in a small house on the grounds and every once in a while he gets drunk, tries to do magic and sets fire to his bed.”  
“I think he’s amazing,” Harry said coldly.  
“Really?” the boy scoffed. “Why is he with you? Where are your parents?”  
“They’re dead.” Harry snapped. He didn’t feel like having a long, open conversation about it with this ridiculously beautiful but annoying boy.  
“Oh, I’m sorry” the other boy said. It seemed genuine, maybe this boy wasn’t as bad as Harry thought. “Were they wizards?”  
“Yes they were,” Harry responded, calmly this time.  
“My father thinks they shouldn’t let muggle-borns in. He thinks they’re too different. They haven’t learned about magic and the rules from when they were young, like we did. Some children haven’t even heard of Hogwarts before they get the letter. Imagine that! No, my father thinks Hogwarts should stick to purebloods,” the boy explained, but he didn’t sound like he agreed with his father. “What’s your last name, by the way?”  
Before Harry could answer, Madam Malkin told him that he was ready to go and Harry was happy to have an excuse to not tell the boy his last name. For some reason, he didn’t want him to know that he was the Harry Potter.  
“Well, we’ll see each other at Hogwarts,” was the last thing Harry heard the posh boy say before he stepped outside the shop.  
He didn’t notice that a pair of grey eyes kept following him until he was out of sight.  
He didn’t hear Madam Malkin tell the boy that she could see that he liked Harry and that he should be nicer if he wanted to make friends.


	2. Arrival at Hogwarts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said that I was going to update every Sunday but I just love writing this so I already wrote a new chapter. It's my summer holiday and I can write as much as I want so I'm probably just going to update whenever a new chapter is ready (could be every day, could be once a week).  
> Enjoy!

Harry was having a surprisingly good time with his new friend, who had introduced himself as Ron, Ron Weasley. Ron had been surprised and interested when he found out that his new friend was the Harry Potter, but after the first shock he hadn’t treated Harry as a famous wizard. He had treated him as a friend, something Harry didn’t have a lot of experience with.  
Ron had explained all the different kinds of magic sweets, he had told Harry about his family and his rat – followed by a failed attempt to turn it yellow – and they had even laughed together when that girl, Hermione, had come into their cabin to look for a toad.  
After a small conversation about Voldemort, which they both didn’t seem to enjoy, Ron changed the subject to quidditch.  
“What’s your favourite quidditch team?” he asked.  
“Eh – I don’t know any,” Harry confessed.  
“What?!” Ron was dumbfounded. “It’s the most beautiful sport in the world!” He started to give Harry a detailed explanation about the four balls and the seven players and he described games that he had seen with his brothers and the broom that he wanted to buy if he had the money. Right when he tried to clarify the subtler aspects of the game, the door of the cabin slid open again, but this time it wasn’t Neville the toad hunter or Hermione Granger.  
Three boys stepped inside the cabin and Harry recognized the one in the middle immediately: the blonde-haired boy from Madam Malkin’s. Harry’s heart skipped a beat. Their eyes connected for a moment and Harry could see that the boy recognized him too. He didn’t know why that made him feel slightly warmer inside.  
The boy’s eyes shifted to Ron and back to Harry and he said: “So it’s true? Everybody’s saying that Harry Potter is in this cabin. You’re him, right?”  
“Yes,” Harry confirmed. He looked at the other guys, who were both heavy and exceptionally mean-looking. They seemed to be bodyguards, like they shadowed the pale boy.  
“Oh right, this is Crabbe and Goyle,” he said carelessly when he saw that Harry was looking. “And my name is Malfoy, Draco Malfoy.”  
Draco.  
Ron coughed, probably to hide his chuckle. Draco Malfoy glared at him.  
“You think my name is funny? I don’t have to ask who you are. My father already told me that all Weasleys have red hair and freckles, and more children than they can afford.”  
He turned to Harry again.  
“You will notice that some wizard families are better than others, Potter. You don’t want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you with that.”  
He held out his hand, but Harry didn’t take it. He wanted to, a part of him really wanted to be friends with Draco, but Harry knew that Draco was not a nice guy.  
“I think I can tell the wrong sort for myself, thank you,” Harry said and he tried to sound like this was an easy decision.  
“I would be careful if I were you, Potter,” Draco said slowly. “If you don’t get a bit politer, you will end up just like your parents.”  
Did Harry hear that right? Did Draco actually say that? A wave of anger and disappointment flowed over Harry. He knew that Draco wasn’t the nicest person, but he didn’t expect him to sink this low.  
“Come on guys, let’s go back to our cabin,” Draco instructed, desperately trying to hide the sadness and guilt in his voice.  
While Draco closed the door and walked away, Harry tried to calm Ron down. Ron was furious, and who could blame him? Harry would be furious too if someone talked about his family like that. To be honest, he would’ve been furious too if he wasn’t so disappointed. For some reason, he really wanted to be wrong about Draco. He wanted him to be a nice guy who he could be friends with. But apparently, that was not going to happen soon.

When Ron calmed down a bit, Harry went to get some air. He started making his way towards the end of the train so he could step outside for a minute, but halfway across the train he got pulled into a cabin. He started protesting and he attempted to get away, but before he knew it he was pushed onto one of the seats. A pair of grey eyes were staring at him.  
“Draco?”  
“Yes, now shut up and let me talk,” Draco demanded. “We don’t have much time.”  
Harry wondered what this was about and why they didn’t have much time. Maybe Draco wanted to insult Harry’s friends and family some more. However, Harry obliged and kept quiet.  
“I – I’m sorry,” Draco sputtered and his eyes studied the whole cabin except for Harry’s eyes.  
Harry was speechless. As much as he wanted him to, he never expected Draco to apologize.  
Draco clearly wanted to say more, but he started moving towards the door. Right before he closed the door of the cabin, Harry took his arm.  
“Wait.”  
Draco turned around with a mixture of hope and fear in his eyes. This time he seemed to be the one who had lost his voice.  
“Why did you say that we didn’t have much time?” Harry asked, mainly just to be able to keep talking to the blonde-haired boy.  
Draco stepped back inside the cabin.  
He hesitated, but after a few seconds he said: “I’m not supposed to be nice to you. I’m supposed to hate everyone who doesn’t think our world should be cleared of muggles. Every student in Slytherin would hate me if they saw me being nice to a friend of the Weasleys. My father would kill me. I don’t always agree with my father, and I wish I could be nice to you, but I can’t. So I’m sorry, for what I said about your parents and for everything that I say in the future. Just know that I don’t mean any of it.”  
Draco was breathing heavily and he looked like he was fighting back tears.  
Before Harry could say anything, Draco left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was the first non-canon event. What did you think?  
> Thank you so much for reading this story, it means a lot to me!


	3. The Sorting Ceremony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look I didn't stick to my uploading schedule. Again. I give up on having any schedule whatsoever.  
> I am really enjoying writing this story though, so thank you all for reading it!  
> Feedback is always welcome (please give me feedback I'm desperate)

Harry had never imagined such a magnificent and miraculous room. It was illuminated by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating above four long tables filled with students. The tables were covered in shining gold plates and cups. The teachers were sitting at a long table at the end of the room.   
Professor McGonagall made the group of first years stop in front of the other students and teachers. To avoid all the staring eyes, Harry looked up and saw a velvet-like black ceiling, covered in stars.  
“I read about in in Hogwarts, a History,” he heard Hermione whisper. “The ceiling is bewitched to look like the night sky.”  
It was certainly hard to believe that there was a ceiling and that the roof of the Great Hall wasn’t just open.   
Harry looked down again when professor McGonagall put a stool in front of them and placed an old wizard hat on it. Aunt Petunia would’ve thrown it away immediately.  
Maybe Harry had to try to pull a rabbit out of the hat. It sure started to look like that.   
Everyone in the Hall stared at the hat so Harry looked at it himself. For a few seconds there was a deadly silence, but then the hat started to move. A rip started to open, like a mouth – and the hat started to sing. 

Oh you may not think I'm pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see,  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
if you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folks use any means  
To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a Thinking Cap!

When it finished, everyone burst into applause.   
“So we only have to put on that hat!” Ron whispered to Harry. “I’m going to kill Fred! He told me that we had to fight a troll!”   
Harry smiled faintly. Yes, putting on that hat was far better than doing magic, but he still wished there weren’t so many people looking. The hat seemed to expect a lot; Harry didn’t feel brave or cunning or whatever. If the hat had sung about a house for students that felt slightly nauseous, that would be the perfect house for Harry.   
Harry had even forgotten about the incident with Draco on the train until he realized that Draco was standing right in front of him. It must have been nice to be so sure in which house he was going to be, even if it was Slytherin. Harry was sure that Draco wasn’t nervous at all and he envied him for a moment, until he realized that he would rather be nervous than be in Slytherin.   
Professor McGonagall stepped forward with a peace of parchment in her hand.  
“If I say your name, put on the hat and sit down on the stool to be sorted into your house,” she said.   
With every student that got sorted, Harry grew more scared. What if he didn’t get sorted at all? What if he would just sit there for minutes, until professor McGonagall told him that there had been a mistake and that he should take the first train home?   
When it was Draco’s turn, he didn’t seem as confident as Harry expected.   
The hat didn’t reveal its choice immediately like it did with some other Slytherins.   
Harry was standing close to Draco and the sorting hat so he heard the hat say quietly: “Hmm, difficult. Very cunning, but I also sense a lot of courage.”   
He also swore he could hear Draco whisper: “Slytherin, please. I beg you, sort me into Slytherin.”  
The hat thought about it for a few seconds before it announced: “SLYTHERIN!”   
Draco sighed and his eyes crossed Harry’s before he started walking towards his new friends. 

A few people passed before professor McGonagall finally said: “Potter, Harry!”  
Harry walked towards the stool and suddenly whispers sounded throughout the whole Hall like small, hissing fires.  
“Did she say Potter?”  
“The Harry Potter?”  
The last thing Harry saw before the hat covered his eyes, was a pair of grey eyes filled with sadness instead of curiosity like everyone else’s.   
“Hmmm,” said a voice in his ear. “Difficult, very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There’s talent, oh yes. And a thirst to prove yourself. But where to put you?”   
Harry grabbed the edge of the stool and thought: “Not Slytherin, not Slytherin!”   
“Not Slytherin? Are you sure? You could be great; you know? It’s all here, in your head and Slytherin would help you on the way to greatness, there’s no doubt about that – no? Well, if you’re sure, better be – GRYFFINDOR!”   
Harry could hear that last word echo throughout the Hall. He took off the hat and walked towards Gryffindor’s table with trembling knees, but not before a last glance towards the table of Slytherin. Draco was looking at him, just like everyone else, but this time his gaze contained a hint of a smile.   
The smile faded as soon as Harry turned away to meet his new friends.


	4. First Flying Lesson

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay just to be clear: this is not going to be a really smutty fanfic. Even the really romantic moments won't happen for a few chapters. Believe me, I'm dying to write the romantic moments, but they're 11 year old kids. Don't worry, there will be romantic moments (and maybe eve some smut, I'm not sure), but not yet.   
> Thank you all for reading this, it means a lot to me. Enjoy!

When Harry came to Hogwarts, he expected to have problems with doing magic. He didn’t expect a blond-haired boy to be his biggest problem. Harry was more confused than he had ever been. Draco smiled at him when nobody could see or when they were alone – which rarely happened because of Draco’s sidekicks. But as soon as Draco thought that someone might see them, the smile faded and Draco slipped back into his ‘evil Slytherin Draco Malfoy’-persona.   
Harry didn’t like being in the same Potions class as Draco, especially not because Snape seemed to hate Harry from the second he walked into the room.   
He couldn’t say that he didn’t like Draco’s presence and the occasional smile he got from him, but it wasn’t worth having to witness the vicious role that he constantly played.  
Therefore, Harry wasn’t thrilled when he saw that the flying lessons started on Thursday – and Gryffindor was put together with Slytherin.   
“Typically,” Harry said miserably. “Exactly what I always wanted. Completely embarrass myself on a broom while Malfoy is looking.”   
Of course Harry didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of Draco for a whole other reason than Ron was thinking, but his soothing words calmed Harry down anyway.   
“You don’t know if you’ll embarrass yourself,” he said. “Malfoy is always blabbering about how fantastic he is at Quidditch, but I think that’s bluffing.” 

It was not bluffing.   
Draco handled his broom with ease, like he had been practicing for years.   
To his surprise, Harry turned out to be pretty good with a broom too.   
Neville on the other hand, was a disaster. When Madam Hooch instructed the students to kick off from the ground, hover for a moment and lean forward to touch back down, Neville kicked off with all the force he had and he soared up. Harry saw his scared, pale face look down, to the ground that was moving away from him. He saw him gasp, slide of his broom and – BANG – a smack, an ugly cracking sound and Neville was lying on the ground with his face in the grass.   
Madame Hooch ran over to Neville. “Oh dear, it’s a broken wrist,” Harry heard her mutter. “Come on, boy. Up you go.”  
Then she turned to the group of students: “Everyone is to keep their feet firmly on the ground while I take Mr. Longbottom to the hospital wing, understand? If I see a single broom in the air, the one riding it will find themselves out of Hogwarts before they can say Quidditch.”  
When Neville and Madam Hooch were out of hearing distance, the kids from Slytherin started laughing.   
“Did you see his face? What an unbelievable loser!” Draco laughed, and Harry cringed. Was it naïve to believe that this was all an act? It seemed pretty convincing to Harry.   
“Shut up, Malfoy!” Parvati Patil snapped.   
“Ooh, are we standing up for Longbottom?” Patty Park said, a girl with a grumpy face from Slytherin. “I would’ve never thought you liked fat little cry-babies, Parvati.”  
“Look!” Draco said while picking something up from the ground. “Here’s that stupid thing that his grandma sent him.”   
He held up the Remembrall.   
“Give it back, Malfoy,” Harry said softly. His eyes begged Draco not to do this.   
Draco hesitated for a moment, but then he seemed to decide that his reputation was more important than his beginning friendship with Harry.   
Harry wished that didn’t hurt so much.   
“I think I’m going to store it somewhere, so Longbottom can collect it later – what do you think about up in a tree?”   
“Give it to me!” Harry shouted, but Draco had already mounted his broom and taken of.   
He hovered at the highest branches of an oak tree and shouted: “Come and get it, Potter!”   
Harry grabbed his broom. He ignored Hermione’s warnings and shot off into the sky.   
In a flash of happiness, he realized that he finally found something that he was good at – flying.   
He hovered right in front of Draco, who looked surprised. Draco looked down for a moment, to see if they were in hearing distance of the rest of the students. He seemed to decide that they weren’t, because he said: “I’m impressed, Harry. Have you never been on a broom before?”  
“No I haven’t. Now stop playing around and give the Remembrall back.” Hairy said.   
“Please,” he added.   
Draco raised an eyebrow. “You know that I can’t do that.”  
He hesitated for a moment before he continued: “However, I can make everyone love you even more than they already do.”   
Harry blushed. “Don’t be silly, nobody loves me.”   
Suddenly Draco got a strange look on his face, Harry couldn’t quite place it.   
“Believe me, Harry. A lot of people love you.”   
He added: “But if you don’t believe that, you can make them love your right now. I’m going to throw this ball and you’re going to catch it, okay?”  
What? This was his first time on a broom, there was a big chance that he would drop the Remembrall. But Draco threw it without waiting for Harry’s answer.   
Harry saw the ball rise and fall, like it happened in slow-motion. He leaned over, pushed his broom down and dived, faster and faster, in an attempt to catch the ball. The wind whistled in his ears, the students were screaming, he stretched out his hand – and not even half a meter above the ground he caught the ball and he could steady his broom right in time. He landed softly on the grass, with the Remembrall in his hand.  
“HARRY POTTER!”  
His happiness fell even faster than his broom had done. Professor McGonagall was running towards him.   
“Never – in all this time that I taught at Hogwarts,” Professor McGonagall was almost speechless. “How do you dare – you could’ve broken your neck. Come with me, Potter.”   
The rest of the students started protesting, but McGonagall didn’t listen.   
The last thing that Harry saw before he turned around to follow Professor McGonagall, was Draco. The grey-eyed boy mouthed an apology, but kept laughing with his fellow Slytherins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going away for a weekend, so the next chapter will probably be on Monday or Tuesday.   
> Thank you for reading this, I'd love to get some feedback!


	5. Guilt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I know that I said I was going to upload a new chapter on Monday or Tuesday, but I was so busy and it's like a thousand degrees here so I didn't do any writing for a few days. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Draco was scared. He couldn’t believe that his plan had gone so wrong, he had just wanted to do something nice for Harry. He had noticed that Harry handled a broom exceptionally well and he had wanted to show everyone else that Harry wasn’t just a famous boy with a pretty face. Draco didn’t allow himself to think about the fact that he thought Harry was pretty.  
But he did allow himself to think about the fact that Harry was a great, talented guy. Because he couldn’t tell Harry himself, he wanted everyone else to see beyond his fame and tell Harry how amazing he was.  
But he fucked up. They wouldn’t expel THE Harry Potter, would they?  
By the time that Madam Hooch returned from the hospital wing, Draco forgot how to breath. He knew that he needed to look confident and content in front of his friends, but the guilt was starting to take over. He couldn’t think clearly anymore, he couldn’t pretend to laugh anymore, and as soon as Madam Hooch dismissed the class he told Crabbe and Goyle that he wanted to be alone for a bit. They could probably tell that something was wrong, but Draco didn’t care. He walked off and as soon as he was out of sight, he started running. He just ran and ran, until he found himself collapsing onto the ground near the lake. He felt tears streaming down his cheeks.  
He wanted to stop crying, he wished he could be the boy that his parents wanted him to be, but he couldn’t. He had never had a real friend. Sure, Crabbe and Goyle were always there for him and he supposed he could call them friends, but he had never felt actual friendship like he did every time he looked at Harry. He had never felt the urge to smile just by looking at someone.  
And he ruined it all. Harry would be expelled and Draco would never see him again, and it would all be Draco’s fault.  
He would never see Harry again.  
That woke Draco up from his thoughts. He was suddenly filled with determination. He would never see Harry again, but he didn’t think he could live with the guilt if he was the reason that Harry got expelled. Harry was important, Harry was a hero. Hogwarts needed Harry as much as Harry needed Hogwarts. Nobody would miss Draco.  
Draco started making his way to McGonagall’s office. 

Draco froze. Ten meters in front of him, Harry came out of a classroom. Draco couldn’t see his face, but his green eyes were burned into his memory, and he didn’t want to see those eyes look at him in disgust. He didn’t want to see Harry’s face filled with disappointment.  
But this was his last chance to look into Harry’s eyes and tell him how sorry he was. If he reached McGonagall’s office and told her what really happened, he would definitely be expelled. He would be on the train to London before dinner.  
So he accelerated and pulled Harry with him into an empty classroom. Harry yelped, but his gaze softened when he saw who had dragged him into the classroom.  
Draco felt every trace of self-control slip away, and he launched himself at Harry. He threw his arms around him and couldn’t stop himself from sobbing uncontrollably into the crook of his neck. Harry froze for a second, but didn’t hesitate before putting his arms around the crying boy.  
“I’m so sorry Harry, I just wanted to do something nice for you. I wanted everyone to see that you’re not just a pretty, famous boy,” Draco rambled. He didn’t see Harry’s surprise at the fact that Draco just called him pretty. “But now you’re getting expelled and it’s all my fault and I’m not going to let this happen, I’m going to McGonagall and tell her that this was my fault so I guess this is goodbye, and I’m so sorry Harry, I’m going to miss…”  
“Draco!” Harry interrupted and he pulled away just enough to look the blonde-haired boy in the eyes. “I’m not getting expelled!”  
“What?” Draco asked, eyes filled with disbelief. “But McGonagall…”  
“McGonagall saw me flying and brought me to Oliver Wood, the captain of the Quidditch team.”  
“The Quidditch team?” Draco finally started to relax.  
“Yes, I’m the new seeker of Gryffindor’s Quidditch team,” Harry explained with a grin.  
Draco opened his mouth to say something, but the sight of Harry being so happy left him speechless. Instead, he pulled the raven-haired boy back into the embrace.  
Harry was the first one to speak after the two boys had just stood there for a few minutes, happy and content to be in each other’s presence.  
“Thank you, Malfoy.”  
“You’re welcome, Potter,” Draco laughed. For the first time in years, Draco genuinely felt good. He had made someone happy. He had made his friend happy. 

Right before Harry left the classroom, he turned around to face Draco.  
“Would you have actually sacrificed yourself for me by telling McGonagall what happened?” he asked.  
“Yes.”  
“But this doesn’t change anything, does it? We still can’t be friends in public, can we?” Harry didn’t even seem to ask; he already knew the answer.  
Seeing the tears in Harry’s eyes made it hard to fight his own, and he could barely get the words out of his mouth: “No, it doesn’t change anything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think about this chapter! It's the first chapter without any canon-events and I know that it isn't perfect, but I'm kinda proud of it. Their relationship starts to develop, and I really enjoyed writing this chapter, so I will probably upload a new chapter soon (but I'm not going to promise anything).


	6. The Midnight Duel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't planning on posting a new chapter so soon, but I'm going to Italy for a week so if I don't post it now, I wouldn't be able to post it until Saturday. It's kind of an important chapter and I don't know if I'm happy with it, so let me know what you think! Thank you all for reading this, enjoy!

Draco knew that it would look suspicious if he let Harry get away with this without being mean to him in some way. But he couldn’t escape the memory of Harry’s eyes, filled with tears when he realized that they still couldn’t be friends. He would give anything to never have to see that again.   
He had decided that no one would notice if he didn’t taunt Harry for one evening, but he didn’t have a choice anymore when Crabbe laughed: “There’s Potter! Let’s say goodbye!”  
Draco laughed halfheartedly and got up from his seat. He couldn’t escape this, it had to be done.   
When Draco arrived at the Gryffindor table, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, Harry looked up at him questioningly.   
“Having a last meal, Potter?” Draco said. “When are you getting the train back to the muggles?”   
It was easy to slip back into his ‘bad persona’, too easy.   
“You’re a lot braver now you’re back on the ground and you’ve got your little friends with you,” said Harry coolly. Draco was thankful that Harry played along. Harry knew how important this was for Draco, but it had to be hard for Harry to act like this. Draco heard Crabbe and Goyle crack their knuckles and scowl. They didn’t like to be called little. This was going to end in a fight, and Harry would definitely get hurt if he fought Crabbe and Goyle. Draco had to do something.   
“I’d take you on any time on my own,” he said. “Tonight, if you want. Wizard’s duel. Wands only – no contact. What’s the matter? Never heard of a wizard’s duel, I suppose?”   
He was proud of himself for thinking of a wizard’s duel. This way it looked like they fought, but they could just hide in a corner together for a while and act like they fought.   
“Of course he has,” said Weasley, wheeling around. “I’m his second, who’s yours?”   
A second. Did Weasley have to ruin everything? If they had seconds, they wouldn’t get away without fighting. Draco had to think of an excuse to duel without seconds, but he realized that everyone was staring at him, waiting for an answer.   
“Crabbe,” he said, feeling defeated. “Midnight, all right? We’ll meet you in the trophy room, that’s always unlocked.”  
Crabbe and Goyle laughed confidently, Draco shot Harry an apologetic look, and the trio headed towards the dungeons. 

“Half past eleven,” Draco muttered. “We’d better go.”   
Crabbe got up from the couch. Goyle looked a bit pissed that he couldn’t come along, but he wished them good luck anyway.   
“We won’t need luck,” Crabbe said.   
Blaise walked into the common room and saw Draco and Crabbe walk towards the door.  
“Draco!” he said. “What are you doing?”   
“I’m sorry Blaise, I don’t have much time. I have a wizard’s duel to attend to.”   
“What?” Blaise stared at him in confusion. “You’re not actually going, are you? If you just stay here and Potter gets caught wandering the castle at night, he’ll definitely be in trouble.”   
Draco was trapped. If he went to the duel, everyone would know that he didn’t want Harry to get in trouble.   
“You’re right, I hadn’t thought about it that way.”   
Blaise looked at him worriedly: “What’s up with you? You’ve been acting weird for days.”   
“Nothing’s up, I’m fine,” Draco assured him. “I’m going to sleep.”   
The only thing he could do now is hope that Harry wouldn’t go to the wizard’s duel either. 

Draco couldn’t have been more relieved when he saw Harry and Ron were still at Hogwarts the next day, looking tired but perfectly cheerful. His relief didn’t last for long though. Ron looked at him from across the room, and if looks could kill, Draco would’ve been dead.   
But Draco didn’t care about the fact that Ron hated him. The sting in his chest was caused by the lack of any acknowledgement of his existence by Harry. He could handle having to deal with an angry Harry, he couldn’t handle having to deal with a lack of Harry. 

“Asshole!” was the first thing Draco heard when he got pulled into an empty classroom on his way to the dungeons. “You act like you want to be my friend, you say all these sweet things, and I was naïve enough to believe you! Was this all just an act to get me expelled? I believed that you actually wanted to help me at the flying lesson, but I have been trying all night to come up with a reason why you would set me up like that tonight, and I can’t think of anything! If you wanted to get me expelled, you could’ve done it without the whole friendly act!”   
“Harry!” Draco interrupted. “Listen to me!”   
“Why, Draco? So you can come up with some lame excuse? You want me to forget about this and trust you again, so you can get me expelled tomorrow?” Harry’s anger seemed to turn into sadness. “You know, I really wanted to be your friend, ever since we met at Madam Malkin’s. But it’s hard to be friends with someone if you constantly have to wonder if they’re setting you up. I want to trust you, but you’re not giving me a lot of reasons to do so.” The tears in Harry’s eyes broke Draco’s heart. “Please don’t give me some lame excuse.”   
“I …” Draco started, but he realized that he didn’t have a good excuse. He should have put his friendship before his image, but he didn’t. And the excruciating truth was that he would never be able to put his friendship before his image.   
“That’s what I thought,” Harry said and he turned around to leave the classroom.   
Draco felt himself shatter into a thousand pieces. The tears were flowing down his cheeks, and he took the most impulsive and possibly the worst decision in his life.   
“Harry!” he half-shouted, half-cried.   
Harry turned around and before Draco could think about what he was doing, his lips were on Harry’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly wasn't planning on letting them kiss so soon, but I just felt like it was the right moment.   
> I will upload a new chapter next Saturday when I'm back from my holiday (at least I hope I'll be able to write there).  
> I'd love to get some feedback, and I'll see you next week! Thank you for reading this!


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